Posts Tagged: UC

UC Master Gardener of San Diego County’s ‘labor of love’ improves health of older adults

The Belden Village Apartments in Clairemont Mesa East of San Diego is home to a diverse population of older adults. Shital Parikh, a UC Master Gardener of San Diego County, took the initiative to build a garden that grows food and encourages residents to spend more time outdoors, getting their hands dirty alongside neighbors.

Almost a year ago, Parikh – a UC Master Gardener since 2014 – proposed to develop a community garden within the low-income residential facility with the intention that the residents would manage it independently overtime. When the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and County of San Diego approved the proposal, Parikh moved swiftly to break ground on what is now the Belden Community Garden.

“The Belden Community Garden is a labor of love,” Parikh said. “One that has been made possible thanks to the knowledge and support gained from the UC Master Gardener Program and the invaluable support from Amy Zink from the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency.”

Breaking ground for a community garden

In September 2023, interested residents at the Belden Village Apartments gathered to learn of the project and understand how they can be involved. In October, the County of San Diego received a donation from Home Depot which included garden beds, and the materials needed to build them. All of which were donated to Parikh to establish the Belden Community Garden.

“This project has received approved funding from our partners and there has not been any out-of-pocket expense,” said Parikh.

In preparation for the garden beds, residents teamed up with more than a dozen UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County to learn various gardening skills. Some taught residents how to create seed tape, making it easier to plant seeds in an organized manner, the basics of vegetable gardening and food prep classes as well.

In January 2024, 13 garden beds were installed and ready for planting. In March, residents enjoyed their first harvest of vegetables and leafy greens by hosting a salad-making luncheon where everyone could taste the fresh produce grown on-site.

“The residents are at the heart of this, and it's been a joy to see them come together across different languages and cultures, sharing in the harvest and learning alongside us,” said Parikh.

Other than English, there are four primary languages spoken in the residential community, including Spanish, Arabic, Farsi and Vietnamese. All garden signs communicate the names of crops in these primary languages – a nod to the residents who helped establish and maintain the garden, which also features crops important in the various cultures.

Residents at the ‘heart' of it all

The Belden Community Garden has two residential garden coordinators, Art Dawson and Lisa Hillman, who are responsible for watering and general maintenance of the garden. Neither Dawson nor Hillman had prior gardening experience.

In the three years that Hillman has been living at the Belden Village Apartments, this is the first time she's participated in a community effort like the garden. “I didn't come outside or interact with neighbors much – but since I started volunteering here, I see so many people and I know more people in my community,” said Hillman, who described the various colors of squash – her favorite vegetable, so far – grown and harvested in the garden.

Dawson, in contrast, isn't a big fan of squash and prefers greens instead. “I'm African American, so I'm all about the collard greens,” said Dawson. Learning as he goes, Dawson said his primary job is managing irrigation.

“I've never gardened before in my life. But I like helping out and working with my hands,” he said. “I kind of like it. It keeps me busy, and I love seeing how everything grows from a tiny seed.”

Shahnaz Roshanoi, a resident whose native language is Farsi, said she was so happy when the garden came to fruition. Roshanoi maintains a garden of her own using the limited space that surrounds her apartment with plants reaching as tall as seven feet. Since the community garden was established, Roshanoi has been an active volunteer, sharing her extensive gardening knowledge with others and inviting more residents to join the fun.

Parikh's effort inspires development of more community gardens

During her earlier days as a UC Master Gardener, Parikh taught gardening via Zoom because of COVID-19. Parikh focused on teaching low-income residents, who are often at a disadvantage in accessing affordable healthy food options. Her gardening projects have all benefitted from her 10-plus years of experience in companion planting and crop rotation, pollinator gardens and native plants.

“Watching the garden evolve has been incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to see how it continues to thrive!” said Parikh.

With generous support from the UC Master Gardeners Program of San Diego County, County of San Diego, SDHC's Achievement Academy, and the Del Mar Mesa Garden Club, the Belden Community Garden teaches residents how to grow their own food, enjoy it, and live healthier, happier lives.

The success and impact of the Belden Village community has inspired two more community gardens in low-income resident facilities located in the Mesa Valley and Otay Mesa neighborhoods in San Diego.

“I do what I can and then leave the rest to divinity,” Parikh said. “Time and again, help has found its way, or maybe it's simply a matter of trusting the process and staying consistent.” 

The UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County work to expand the love of gardening and improve food security across the county. You can support their efforts by donating at this link here: https://give.ucanr.edu/forms/SanDiego-MG

Foundation created to energize community support for UC ANR mission

Board of Directors to promote philanthropy through advocacy and fundraising in support of agriculture, natural resources and community health

The new University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Foundation has been established to advance UC ANR's essential research and extension mission.

The foundation – to be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization following approval by UC President Michael Drake in October – will support programs that promote California's agriculture and food systems; natural ecosystems and working landscapes; and healthy and thriving communities.

“The establishment of this foundation could not have come at a better time, as it will inspire the vital resources and energy we need to meet the pressing challenges we pinpointed in our recently released Strategic Vision 2040,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

Modeled after similar entities at UC campuses, the UC ANR Foundation will be guided by a volunteer Board of Directors. Representing a variety of regions and communities across California, the directors collectively bring years of experience in the agriculture, natural resources, government, academic and nonprofit sectors.

“By tapping into the board's connections, relationships and knowledge of our work and its impact, UC ANR is well-positioned to undertake significant and truly transformative fundraising initiatives and campaigns,” said Greg Gibbs, executive director of UC ANR Development Services.

The Board currently comprises eight community leaders and three ex officio members:

Don Bransford
Owner and Operator
Bransford Farms

Tom Delfino
Sr. Principal
S.S. Papadopulos & Associates

Bill Frost
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and former Associate Vice President
UC ANR

Anne Haddix
Co-President, Board of Directors
UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County (Volunteer)

Corinne Martinez, Board Chair
President and Chief Operations Officer
Berryessa Gap Vineyards

Soapy Mulholland
Principal
Sopac & Associates LLC

Sharon Nance
President
NTAPROBLM LLC Inc.

Stephen Reid
Head Gardener of the Rose Garden
The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens

Ex Officio Members

Greg Gibbs, Board Secretary
Executive Director, Development Services
UC ANR

Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC ANR

Tu Tran, Board Treasurer
Associate Vice President
UC ANR

“We are grateful to the members of the new board for their leadership, expertise and passion for our mission, and we're thankful to the many donors – past, present and future – who generously support our work to improve lives all across California,” Humiston said.

History of philanthropic support empowered creation of foundation

It has been that outpouring of support – channeled by Gibbs' fundraising team – that enabled the establishment of the UC ANR Foundation. Gibbs was part of a nascent development team created just seven years ago, in 2017, to increase private funding from individuals, foundations, companies and agricultural commodities groups.

Within that time, the Development Services team has raised crucial funds for a wide range of impactful programs and projects. For example, philanthropic support is fueling efforts to cultivate workforce development in agriculture and related fields in Orange County, drive innovations in the “circular bioeconomy” within the San Joaquin Valley, strengthen wildfire resiliency in communities across the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and propel leading-edge research to benefit growers of citrus, grapes and other valuable commodities.

“People are seeing the true impact of UC ANR, and I think this foundation board is a testament to that,” Gibbs said. “It's a validation of all the work that's been done over the last seven years.”

In 2023, a Vice President's Cabinet began laying the groundwork for the foundation by establishing its bylaws and structure. That group comprised several current board members, as well as Andrea Ambrose, UC ANR director of advancement; Adina Merenlender, professor of Cooperative Extension in conservation science; and Kerry Tucker, chief strategic counsel at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker.

Then, presented with UC ANR's track record of robust fundraising and measurable impacts, UC President Drake approved the incorporation of the new nonprofit foundation on Oct. 2. The foundation will begin work with UC ANR leadership and staff in early 2025 to develop short- and long-term fundraising plans.

For the public, there is an immediate opportunity to support UC ANR's work – Giving Tuesday. From midnight to midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3, visit give.ucanr.edu to donate and participate in a global online giving event.

“Just as UC ANR programs significantly improve lives in California and across the nation and world, our donors substantively improve those programs,” Gibbs said. “They believe in what we do, and they make our research and extension activities better in every sense – more impactful, more accessible and more sustainable.”

For more information on the UC ANR Foundation and opportunities to contribute, contact Greg Gibbs at glgibbs@ucanr.edu.

UC Master Gardeners of Imperial County grow from Mexican, Latino roots

First program of its kind in area establishes free seed library, community garden

One of the many things that make University of California Cooperative Extension in Imperial County unique is its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. Its geographic location, with a border town called “La Frontera” by locals, infuses the UC Master Gardener Program in this area with intercultural knowledge.

In 2022, UCCE launched its first UC Master Gardener Program in the county and has maintained a cohort of 20 participants since then. Kristian Salgado, the program's first coordinator, said the volunteers offer a range of skills to the gardening community.

“The clientele that our volunteers serve tend to be individuals who have gained their gardening knowledge and experience from tending to plants in their homeland of Mexico,” said Salgado. The volunteer UC Master Gardeners of Imperial County reflect the region's predominantly Latino demographic, making it easier for volunteers to connect with their clientele.

“Nopales, chiles, citrus…residents in this region know how to take care of these plants. They've done it all their life. But when you have a program like the UC Master Gardener Program, you can use science to explain why their practices worked all these years,” said Salgado.

According to Salgado, the UC Master Gardener Program can be perceived as too academic for some residents. “It's not a bad thing, but I had to digest the information myself, even the UC Master Gardeners, and figure out how to deliver it in a way that was relevant to everyone,” she added.

As a starting point, Salgado used English and Spanish materials from neighboring counties like “A Garden of Words/Un jardín de palabras”, developed by the UC Master Gardener Program of Los Angeles County.

One method that helped engage volunteers and residents during classes was the use of culturally significant seeds like chiltepin peppers – seeds that Salgado deems a “must-have” if you are a gardener of Mexican heritage.

“When we focused on plant propagation, the volunteers that I worked with agreed that we should propagate plants that our residents were familiar with and use in their everyday cooking,” Salgado explained.

This same approach was employed at the free seed library and demonstration garden – both established and maintained by the UC Master Gardener volunteers at the City of Imperial Public Library. During the warm season you can find Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), known to make agua de jamaica, in the seed library – something you won't easily find in grocery stores. In the demonstration garden during the summer, you'll notice a variety of peppers such as chile güero, jalapeño, serrano and habanero.

As the UC Master Gardener coordinator for Imperial County for the last two years, Salgado has focused her leadership on establishing a program that would generate opportunities for UC Master Gardener volunteers to create projects that are reflective of their interests, align with the program's mission and serve all residents in the county. The demonstration garden, which is the first community garden established in the city of Imperial, is an outcome of Salgado's vision.

UC Master Gardener Program reflects, connects community

Eliza Barajas, UC Master Gardener of Imperial County, who works at the library during the week and has witnessed the impact of the garden, said it gives her a sense of pride. “I moved to the [Imperial] Valley a year ago and I was looking for a way to connect with the community. I couldn't have asked for a better program to do that, and I'm so proud to say that I'm a part of the very first cohort in Imperial County,” Barajas shared.

Salgado praised Barajas for her enthusiasm in the program and noted her excellent ability to speak Spanish. “I love the way Eliza flows from English to Spanish. It's effortless! And it comes in handy when we're doing community events and need to cater to our Spanish and English speakers,” said Salgado.

Since the program came to fruition, Salgado has played a pivotal role in the program's progress. Reflecting on why she accepted the role of UC Master Gardener coordinator for Imperial County, Salgado said that the role was a culmination of everything she studied in school and cares deeply about.

While attending California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Salgado earned a master's degree in social science focused on the environment and community. She studied the intersections of food insecurity, the agricultural industry and health inequities, and how they specifically impact the Latino community.

Growing up and currently living in Calexico, Salgado questions why her community is food insecure. “Imperial is the ‘salad bowl' of the nation. We export a variety of fresh fruit and veggies all year long. How is it that our community doesn't have enough access to the healthy food it produces?” she asked.

Food security is one concern that Salgado envisions the UC Master Gardener Program addressing through its seed library, community garden and gardening classes.

Following graduate school, Salgado moved back home and joined former classmate and UCCE colleague, Chris Wong, in establishing the first farmer's market in Calexico in 2013. Wong encouraged Salgado to apply her new knowledge and skills at UCCE Imperial County, where she began working as a climate-smart agriculture community education specialist in 2019, supporting growers with grant writing.

“I realized early on that there was a lot of divestment in the community, and I didn't understand why,” she said, adding that she's still working to understand. Salgado's mother-in-law also continuously challenged her to think bigger. “My mom-in-law comes from the Chicano Movement. She's guided me into thinking more critically about the issues we face in our community and as Latinos.”

In September, Salgado began in a new role as the regional operations specialist for the UC Master Gardener Program statewide office, covering the Bay Area to Southern California regions. Salgado hopes to develop useful tools and resources to support coordinators' professional development, while integrating programmatic best practices centered on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.  

“The UC Master Gardeners are full of knowledge, and my education was motivated by identifying how Latinos can get a seat at the table. UC Master Gardeners easily become trusted sources in the community, and for Imperial County, this is how they get a seat at the table,” said Salgado.

UC ANR publishes first-ever manual on olive production for oil

Growers, UC Cooperative Extension researchers offer guidance on producing high-quality olives

Facing a deluge of lower-price products from Europe, the California olive oil industry is doubling down on its clear-cut competitive edge: the consistent and bona fide quality of its oil.

“Olive Production Manual for Oil,” a new book published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, aims to help California olive growers maximize that advantage.

“It's a tough market to compete in, but I think the way to win for California is to compete on quality,” said book co-editor Selina Wang, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “The quality of California olive oil is unmatched, but you can't make good quality olive oil with bad fruit, so the goal is to get more fruit from the trees – and for the fruits to be high-quality fruit.”

The 273-page manual, available for purchase online, is the first of its kind in the U.S. While some parts of the book are specific to California (which grows nearly all of the olives for domestically produced olive oil), most of the material would be useful to producers in other states, Wang noted.

“Through our conversations with growers, it became clear to us that a manual like this – not a scientific publication but a manual that is easy to follow, written in language that is accessible, and with pictures and illustrations – would be really helpful to the growers,” she said.

Growth of California olive oil industry necessitated creation of manual

Aside from a book focused predominantly on table olives and another on organic olive production (by UCCE farm advisor emeritus Paul Vossen), there was no one-stop, comprehensive resource on the bookshelf for oil olive growers. The need for such a manual had become more acute as oil olives replaced table olives in California orchards during the last 20 years.

Whereas harvesting by hand was historically cost-prohibitive, the introduction of super-high-density planting systems in 1999 made oil olive production more economically feasible. Mechanical pruning and harvesting of new cultivars (Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki) – specifically bred for these densely planted orchards – led to the rapid expansion of oil olives in the state. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, California olive oil production jumped from 2 million pounds in 2006 to an average of 21 million pounds in 2021–23. 

With about 37,000 acres of oil olives planted across California, the Olive Oil Commission of California saw the need to support the production of this manual. Championed by Dan Flynn, founder and executive director emeritus of the UC Davis Olive Center, Wang and co-editor Louise Ferguson outlined the contents of the book. They then sought out a mix of growers and industry professionals and UCCE advisors and specialists to write its chapters.

“Most of the information is data-based, from people who are working with the olives,” said Ferguson, a UC Cooperative Extension pomologist at UC Davis. “This is the first data-based olive oil production manual we've had.”

Manual infused with firsthand insights, practical recommendations

Hard-earned experience taught growers a valuable lesson that is conveyed in the book – the need to hand-prune. While mechanical pruning helps control the size of the trees, some hand-pruning is still required to allow light to filter to the leaves. Failing to do so leads to a dramatic decrease in yield.

“That happened in many of the orchards that were inexperienced in these new cultivars and new super-high-density planting systems,” Ferguson said.

She added that other key topics in the manual include irrigation management in a water-constrained state, nitrogen management, harvest timing and orchard site selection. Choosing a good spot for planting is crucial in this era of extreme climate volatility, Ferguson noted, as olive trees are significantly affected by temperature shocks in spring (fruit set) and fall (harvest).

For Wang, another overarching theme in the manual is the importance of testing. Testing the soil, water and leaves provides critical data that growers can use to adjust their inputs and production practices for optimal profitability.

“You may spend a couple hundred dollars on the lab work, but it will pay off, for sure – you're going to increase the health and productivity of your trees,” Wang explained. “Oil olive growers are paid based on the oil content in their fruit; you not only want to have a lot of fruit on the trees, you want to make sure that your fruit are accumulating oil.”

California oil olive growers, practices continue to evolve

Wang and Ferguson hope their book will help California producers compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Currently, about 90% of the olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported from Mediterranean countries, due primarily to the lower price point. In that region, producers tend to harvest riper olives that produce oil at a greater volume but lesser quality.

In contrast, California growers harvest earlier and produce oil that is higher quality (with more flavor and more antioxidants) and far exceeds accepted standards for “extra virgin olive oil.”

According to Wang, California olive oil mills have nearly maximized their efficiency, and the growth opportunity for the industry is in the orchards: to optimize practices to produce more fruit, and to plant more trees. Wang said the new manual can help on both fronts.

“Just like for other crops, focusing on quality – while increasing efficiency and productivity, and therefore profitability – is the name of the game,” she said.

Ferguson also stressed that knowledge continues to evolve and urged growers to reach out to the editors and chapter authors with their experiences.

“Most of the authors are in California and they're working,” she said. “So if you start to notice things that are different, or you want more information or something is not clear, the authors are available.”

The manual can be purchased at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3559.

Diagnosing herbicide problems takes detective work

Field day offers examples, tips for solving the mystery

A grower applies an herbicide to his tomato plants, or thinks a neighbor's treatment is drifting over her almond trees. A short time later, the leaves start to bleach or shrivel. Was it the herbicide? Or maybe water stress? Soil nutrients? Perhaps an insect?

Figuring out the causes of crop problems takes detective work, and like solving any mystery, it starts with knowing the signs, gathering evidence and asking questions.

The Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms field day at UC Davis was an opportunity to see, up close, the shriveled cotton, scorched corn and dying sunflowers that can result when herbicides are applied incorrectly. Using the right herbicide – in the right proportion, at the right time and in the right field – can make the difference between a thriving crop and a financial loss.

A top take-away to avoid problems: “Don't do stuff at night!” laughed Becky Wheeler-Dykes, a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor attending the June 26 event to better serve growers in Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties. “The packages look the same. People grab the wrong jug.” And then, disaster.

Instructors were Brad Hanson, professor of Cooperative Extension; and Kassim Al-Khatib, the Melvin D. Androus endowed professor for weed science; both in the Department of Plant Sciences. They were joined by John Roncoroni, a Cooperative Extension emeritus farm advisor rooted in the department's weed science program. Attendees were a mixture of people from agriculture, industry, government officials, university researchers and Cooperative Extension advisors. The event was hosted by the Weed Research and Information Center, based in the Department of Plant Sciences.

Out in a field west of campus, visitors could see the progression of damage, from control plots with green and healthy crops to plants that looked sadder as herbicide concentrations increased. Visitors could see the patterns of damage for common foliar chemicals such as glyphosate, paraquat, and 2,4-D, as well as soil-applied herbicides from several chemical classes.

“There's a lot of detective work,” said Stephen Chang, a master's student in Hanson's lab aiming for a career in Cooperative Extension. “For example, the company that makes the herbicide says there shouldn't be a problem, but the grower says, there is a problem. This course helps with developing the skills to figure out what happened.”

It might not be the herbicide at all

Detective work and problem-solving frame the approach, Hanson explained. The cause of crop damage can be simple or complex. Like a good mystery, what appears to be a clue can turn out to be a red herring. Professionals need to draw on their inner Sherlock Holmes to observe and document symptoms, look for patterns in the plants and in the field, ask questions, gather information about the larger environment and collect samples.

An herbicidal Agatha Christie would then suggest: What if it's not herbicide damage at all? Participants learned to consider the possibility of insects, pathogens and viruses, as well as problems with water, nutrients, soil condition and even root damage from cultivation practices.

Hanson recalled puzzling over symptoms he found in an orchard. The culprit? “A leaking natural gas line,” he said.

More resources for herbicide issues

Participants also heard from Molly Mathews, deputy agriculture commissioner from Yolo County, on how a field investigation is conducted. Lawyer Robert Davies, of Donahue Davies LLP in Folsom, outlined the basics of what happens when there are lawsuits related to crop damage from herbicide drift.

The Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms field day is part of a larger program of education and outreach offered through the Weed RIC, said director Julia Stover-Blackburn. It was the first time the event has been offered since the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.

• For more information about field days and resources, visit the Weed RIC webpage.
• For a thorough discussion of herbicide symptoms, visit this page overseen by Al-Khatib and sponsored by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• This online course follows an earlier version of the Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms field program.

This story was originally published on the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences website.

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